The manuscripts of Lord Coke are in the possession of his descendant,
Mr. Coke, of Norfolk, his representative through the female issue of
Lord Leicester, the male heir of the chief justice. At this gentleman's
princely mansion of Holkham, is one of the finest collections, or,
indeed, libraries of manuscripts anywhere preserved; certainly the
finest in any private individual's possession. It partly consists of the
chief justice's papers; the rest, and the bulk of it, was collected by
that accomplished nobleman who built the mansion, the last male heir of
the great lawyer. He had spent many years abroad, where his taste was
improved and his general education perfected. He collected a vast number
of the most valuable manuscripts. Of these the exquisitely illuminated
missals, and other writings of a similar description, which would from
their perfect beauty and great rarity bear the highest price in the
market, are certainly by far the least precious in the eyes of literary
men. Many of the finest _codices_ of the Greek, Latin, and old Italian
classics are to be found in this superb collection. Among others are no
less than thirteen of Livy, a favourite author of Lord Leicester, whom
he had made some progress in editing, when he learnt that
Drakenborchius, the well known German critic, had proceeded further in
the same task, and generously handed over to him the treasures of his
library. The excellent edition of that commentator makes constant
reference to the Holkham manuscripts, under the name of _MSS.
Lovelliana_, from the title of Lovell; Lord Leicester not having then
been promoted to the earldom. Mr. Coke, with a becoming respect for the
valuable collection of his ancestors, was desirous to have the
manuscripts unfolded, bound, and arranged, both with a view to their
preservation and to the facility of consulting them. They had lain for
half a century neglected, and in part verging towards decay, when he
engaged his valued friend, William Roscoe, to undertake the labour so
congenial to his taste and habits, of securing these treasures from the
ravages of time. From the great number of the manuscripts, the state in
which many of them were, and the distance of Mr. Roscoe's residence,
this was necessarily a work of time. After above ten years employed on
it, the task is now finished. Each work is beautifully and classically
bound; and to each Mr. Roscoe has prefixed, in his own fair hand
writing, a short account of the particular manuscript, with the
bibliographical learning appertaining to it.--_Library of Useful
Knowledge_.
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